Suspected herdsmen have assaulted personnel of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, in the Igoba community near Akure, situated in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The herdsmen launched the attack on the Amotekun operatives while the latter enforced the anti-open grazing law operational in the state.
The spokesperson for the Amotekun Corps in the state, Jimoh Adeniken, confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday.
He said the officers were acting on complaints from farmers in the Igoba and Osi communities about cows’ constant destruction of their farms.
It was gathered that one of the officers, yet to be identified, was hacked by the armed herdsmen during the attack.
Adeniken disclosed that the herdsmen were armed with stones, bottles and cutlasses, which they used to attack the officers.
“Upon constant complaints from many farmers in the Igoba and Osi areas of Akure North Local Government since the 6th of May 2024 till date, the agency of Amotekun corps from the Headquarters in Alagbaka Akure, responded today dated 5th of July 2024, at about 1600 hours,” he said.
“During the operation, the corps surveillance team was led to the farms by the owners. On getting there, they met over one hundred and twenty cows ravaging the farms and there was nobody with the cows.
“Determined to enforce the anti-open grazing law of the state, the operatives of the Amotekun corps moved the cows out of the farms, and while passing by the Sango Area, at Igoba, along Ado Road in Akure, groups of armed Fulani herdsmen attacked the officers with stones, bottles, cutlasses, and guns.”
According to Adeniken, the officers had to quickly retreat to base on the order from the Command, as the attackers continued throwing stones and bottles till the Amotekun operatives escaped to the main road.
